The House this afternoon will vote on a measure to cut funding for the U.S. offensive military action in Libya, an extraordinary rebuke to President Obama that has created odd political alliances (story on that here).

Standing in the middle of it all is Florida Rep. Tom Rooney, a second-term Republican from the Stuart area.

"Today we have an opportunity to send a message to the executive branch," Rooney said on the floor today. "The last thing that we want as Americans is for some president -- whether it's this president or some future president -- to be able to pick fights around the world without any debate from another branch of government."

This year is a break out year for Rooney. In February, the House passed his amendment killing off a controversial alternative engine for F-35 fighter jets. His name was also in circulation as a possible U.S. Senate candidate but he decided against a run.

Rooney, 40, came to the House under unusual circumstances, taking a seat that was held by Democrat Tim Mahoney. Mahoney won the seat in 2006 after Republican Rep. Mark Foley resigned after revelations that he sent sexual e-mails to former House pages. But weeks before re-election, news broke that Mahoney had multiple affairs while in office.

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For Florida political news today, the Buzz is your can't-miss-it source. Tampa Bay Times writers offer the latest in Florida politics, the Florida Legislature and the Rick Scott administration. Keep in mind: This is a public forum sponsored and maintained by the Tampa Bay Times. When you post comments here, what you say becomes public and could appear in the newspaper. You are not engaging in private communication with candidates or Times staffers.